A direct approach to evaluate interaction forces between self-adhesive polymeric films subjected to T-peeling

In this paper, a direct procedure to identify interaction forces between self-adhesive flexible polymeric films is developed. High-resolution photographs of the deformed shape within and outside the zone of adhesive interaction are taken at different instances of the T-peel test. To describe the deformed centerline, an approximate analytical solution to the equations of the nonlinear beam theory is derived. The obtained function is the exponential sum satisfying both kinematic and static boundary conditions for the T-peel configuration. The interaction forces computed with the developed function satisfy equilibrium conditions. The procedure provides characteristics of the adhesive interaction such as the energy of adhesion, maximum force and critical opening displacement. Furthermore, the developed direct approach is applicable to generate the whole traction-separation curve.